Traction apparatus.



'N'q. 719,466. PATENTE D FEB. 3, 1903.

NQ HISS. TRACTION APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 8, 1902. I

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 719,466. PATENTED FEB; 3, 1903' N. HISS.

TRACTION APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAB. 8, 1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

N0 MODEL.

UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NELSON HISS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

TRACTION APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 719,466, dated February3 1903.

Application filed March 8, 1902.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NELSON HISS, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city, county,and State of New York, have invented a newand useful Improvement in Traction Apparatus, of which the following isa specification.

My present invention has reference to an improved means wherebyelevators and other forms of traction apparatus may be operated by meansof an endless cable formed in two bights, to each of which is applied aseparate motive device, which motive devices may be separate primemovers or not, as desired, and whether such prime movers or not may bearranged either to run in the same or in opposite directions at will. Mypresent device may also be arranged to operate with a constantly-movingcable or may operate with cables which are made to start and stop forvarious movements of the car.

Elevators have been hitherto driven by two separate electric motorsacting upon an endless driving-cable, said cable moving constantly andthe car being made to move one way or the other or to stand still byproper changes in the relative speeds of said motors. This entailsexcessively high speed of the cable for quick-service elevators, andoperation is made dependent upon reactions within the motors foradjustments of relative speeds, which reactions are often unreliable. Bythe use of my invention two separate motors may be used, if desired, anda part at least of the endless cable may be kept moving at all timeswithout entailing either of the difficulties above mentioned. The actionof the motors is made positive, avoiding all delicate adjustments ofrelative speeds, and no part of. the cable need ever move more thantwice as fast as the car. At the same time my invention is perfectlyadapted to traction apparatus driven by a single continuously-movingmotor of any kind desired.

Certain preferred embodiments of my invention are illustrated as appliedto elevators in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 shows inside view a car driven by an endless cable impelled by two separateelectric motors controlled from the car. Fig. 2 is a side view of themotor and automatic brake preferably used with my elevator. Fig.

$erial No. 97,280. (No model.)

3 shows in diagram a modified arrangement of driving-pulleys and cable,and Fig. 4 shows in section the use of a single prime mover with twovariable electric transmission means in my invention.

In Fig. 1 the car 1 is provided with a sheave 2 above it and with twoequivalent sheaves 3 below it. The endless driving-cable at is impelledby the two separately-moving drivingpulleys 5 and 6, each of which isdriven by its own electric motor 7 and 8, respectively. The arrangementof cable shown in this figure is appropriate to revolution of thepulleys 5 and 6 in opposite directions. When these pulleys move thus atequal speeds, the car will stand still and the cable'l will run idle. Onstopping the pulley 5 and holding it so the pulley 6 running, asindicated by the arrows, along the cable the car will ascend. Onstopping the pulley 6 and allowing pulley 5 to run the car will descend.This is accomplished where two electric motors are used, as in Fig. 1,in the following manner, (see Figs. 1 and 2:) Each pulley 5 6 isprovided with a brake-pulley 9 10, respectively, turning with it. Overeach brake-pulley is a strap-brake 11 12 or its equivalent. The brake isapplied normally by a weight 13 14 or its equivalent, and the pressureis removed by a solenoid 15 16, acting upon a core 17 18, acting uponsaidweight' or its equivalent. The conductors 19 20, going to thefield-magnet terminals 21 of the respective motors, are in serieswithjthe coils of the solenoids 15 16, as shown. The other terminals ofthe two field-magnets are connected by conductors 22 23 to the two-partswitch-plate 24: 24" in the controlling device. The-specific controllingdevice shown in Fig. 1 comprises two rheostats '25 26, whoseextremeterminals at their inner ends are brought near enough together sothat the switch-plate 27 bridges from one to the other when in itsmiddle position. This is indicated in dotted lines in the drawings.

The plate 27 is carried bya lever 28, pivoted as at 29, and said platerides always on the plates 24 24, but moves over the terminals of thetwo rheostats. The lever can be moved by the handle 30 or otherwise. Theextreme outer terminal of the rheostat 25 is connected by wire 31 to onebrush at the commutator of the motor 7, the other brush being connectedto wire 19. The extreme outer terminal of the rheostat at 26 isconnected by the Wire 32 to one brush at the commutator of the motor 8,the other brush being connected to the wire 20. The lever 28 is inpermanent connection with wire 33, leading to thereturn-main 34. In thisform one or the other of the motors 7 8 (or both of them) is alwaysrunning. With the handle in the position shown motor 7 is out of circuitand the weight 13 has applied the brake at 9 11, while motor 8 isrunning, with the eflect of raising the car. Opposite movement of thehandle will produce the opposite efifect. When the handle is in themiddle position, the cable will run idle and the two motors 7 8 will runat equal speeds in opposite directions.

It is obvious that the above ends can be attained by use of a variety offorms of controller on or ofi of the car, and I am not to be limited tothe form above described or its strict equivalent. It is also clear thatmy apparatus as above described and as described below can be operatedby stopping both motors when the car is to stand still, if desired, andmy invention is broad enough to cover this mode of operation and suchcontrollers as will carry it out. The direction in which thedriving-pulleys run with relation the one to the other is merely aquestion of arrangement of the drivingcable, and whether one or moreprime movers are used the pulleys may be run either in the same or incontrary directions, as desired, without departing from my invention. Inthe arrangement shown in diagram in Fig. 3, for instance, the twodriving-pulleys 5 6 run in the same direction and may be driven by acommon prime mover if arranged to stop one or the other at will. Thismay be accomplished by various means; but a preferred device for thispurpose is shown in Fig. 4 in section. Here the main shaft is run by thebelt 36 and pulley 37, while the driving-pulleys 5 6 and brake-disks 910 turn loosely on said shaft. The pulley 5 has rigidly attached andturning with it the squirrel-cage inductive armature 38, and a likearmature 39 is attached in like manner to the pulley 6. VVith inthearmature 38 magnetic poles 40 are attached rigidly to the main shaftand revolve with it, and these poles are wound with proper windings ofwires, which are brought out at the collector-brushes 41 42, wherebythey may be brought into an appropriate circuit. Similar posts 43 arefixed within the armature 39, and their windings are brought out tosimilar collector-rings 44 45 for a like purpose.

In Fig. 4 the wires 34 and 46 represent properly-connected electricmains, and it will be obvious that in the position shown of the plate 27of the controller the resistance in the circuits of the two sets ofpoles 40 and 43 will be equal and that there will be a tendency in thesepoles to exert an equal dragging effect, as well understood, upon theirrespective squirrel-cage armatures, thus driving both pulleys at onceand causing idle movement of the cable, the elevator-car standing still.Upon throwing the plate 27 one way or the other one or the other of themotive devices 5 6 will be held stationary by the application of itsappropriate brake, while the other will act with increased force uponthe cable to move the car one way or the other.

It is obvious that various forms of controller may be used with motivedevices of the form shown in Fig. 4 and also that these devices can bemodified greatly, both as to form and as to combination with one or moremotors, without departing from my invention.

A variety of modifications may be made in the apparatus herein shown anddescribed without departing from the spirit of my invention, and I amnot to be understood as limiting myself to the details of the apparatusherein shown and described.

What I claim is 1. In traction apparatus, an endless driving-cable intwo bights, motive means in each bight of said cable, driving means forsaid motive devices and means for holding either of said motive meansand its corresponding bight of cable stationary at will.

2. In traction apparatus, an endless driving-cable in two bights, motivemeans for each of said bights of said cable, a common prime mover forsaid two motive devices and means for holding either of said motivemeans stationary at will.

3. In traction apparatus, an endless driving-cable in two bights, meansfor holding one of said bights stationary and means for imparting motionto the other bight.

4. In traction apparatus, an endless driving-cable in two bights, meansfor holding either of said bights stationary at will and means forimparting motion to either of said bights of cable at will.

5. In traction apparatus, an endless driving cable in two bights,electromagnetic means for imparting motion to each bight of cable andmeans for holding either of said bights stationary at will; incombination with a controlling means adapted to start one of saidelectromagnetic means alone while operating the holding means on theopposite bight of cable.

6. In traction apparatus, an endless driving cable in two bights,electromagnetic means for imparting motion to each bight of cable, meansfor holding either of said bights stationary at will and electromagneticmeans in circuit with each motion-imparting means for making inoperativeits appropriate holding means; in combination with a controller forclosing electric circuit through the electromagnetic means on one or theother bight of cable at will.

7. In traction apparatus, an endless driving-cable in two bights, .twodriving-pulleys for said two bights respectively, an electromagneticclutch for each driving-pulley and I each bight, a holding means foreach bight a common driving-shaft attached to one side and means fordriving both of said motive of each of said electromagnetic clutches; in'means on the one hand or stopping either combination with a brake foreach pulley, and operating its appropriate holding means 15 5electromagnetic means in circuit with each on the other hand forstopping and starting clutch for releasing said brakes respectively thetraction apparatus.

and a controller adapted to close circuit through one or the other ofsaid clutches and NELSON HISS' its appropriate brake-releasing means.Witnesses:

I0 8. In traction apparatus, an endless driv- CHAS. F. HALSTED,

ing-cable in two bights, a motive device for HAROLD S. MACKAYE.

